Connecticut western news., 1887-01-05
The Cashiers Romance.
BY HELEN FORREST GRAVES.

only wish I had courage to ask her about it."
 It was dull, rainy day-onc of the bleak premonitors of the e9uinoctial storm-and as there was not much doing at the store, the girls took longer than usual at their lunch.
 Fanny sat on a packing-box, turned upside down, under the stairway that led down to the Shipping room," slowly munching her soda-crackers and smoked beef, and Ella Hay, her companion at the kid-glove counter, was nestled at her feet, eating bread and butter and rasp- berry jam, with the heartiest of appetites.
 At the same moment, Miss Verona, the cashier, came lightly down the stairs in her dark-blue serge gown, and her satin-brown braids of hair shining in the oblique light of the dust -dimmed win dow. She caught Fanny's last sentences, and paused abruptly. ......
 gro ask whoma" said she. "Who has got story1'
 And Fanny, spurred on by sudden upward blaze of courage, answered:
 "Youp
 Miss Verona smiled. In response, her face was cold and grave; but when it lighted up with that rare smile, it was absolutely beautiful. Instead of being offended, however, she sat chccrfully down on the other half of the packing box.
 'You are right, Miss TulIan," said she. q have got story, else I never should have been in this store. I wasn't brought up to work, and don't like to sit behind O cashiers desk from morning until night any better than other people do."
 Fanny Tullan's great, gray eyes opened wide.
 'Oh. Miss Verona" said she. "won't you tell it to usa'
 | "Of course will" said the cashier. "Why shouldn't IF You were very kind to me, Fanny Tullan, when first came, lonesome and inexperienced, to the store. It would be hard indeed if l couldn't do as much to please and amusc you.'
 The rain battered against the dust blurred window; tho wind, shrieking around the corner, made a miniature maelstrom of shavings and bits of paper in the brick shaft which afforded the only prospect; and Fanny Tullan and her friend, Miss Hay, crept up closer to Miss Verona to hear her words.
 ''Of course, you have already sur. missed that am reduced lady," said she. ''That goes without saying. But you would scarcely havc imagined that
 was once an heiress. Hornblowcl
 Hall-that was tha name of the place:
 beautiful old house, down by the sea-
 Oh, loved that house Land now
 never shall see it any more.
 Her lips quivered; the tears cainc into
 her eyes for second, and then she went
 bravely on:
 |
 that there was a lawsuit aboat Horn
 blower Hall; that some other branch of
 the family believed that they had
 better right to it than my mothe
 and I. Mamma never told mt
 about it; and, luckily, it wa
 not until after her death that that hate
 full lawyers letter came. The letter. r mean, that notified me with mock re-
 spect that was worse than any amount o downright influence would have been l that Hornblowcr Hall belonged to m fourth or fifth cousin instead of me There was something in it about my no being disturbed in the occupancy, if t suited mo to remain, but could liste : b no such belittling proposition as that tore the letter into pieces, and packe f my personal belongings into one littl . trunk and came away. too D refuge with a relative of my mother, wh 8 lives, in very quiet way, on Dllsto t street, and it was she that helped mo
 get this situation; and there is m
 story"
 s "'The beginning" said Fanny Tullar n nibbling up the last crumb of her luncl s'but not the end." d ''Why not the enda" IS 'Oh, because you'll see that the en y will be that you'll somehow go back y Hornbower Hall and the cousin will d stately, dark eyed aristocrat, who wi 3, fall headlong iu love with you at fir d sight. nodded Fanny. ss Miss Verona laughed in spite of he le self.
 C. tThcn he may fall out again." sa le she. "Thcre goes the bell. l must g nt back to work-aud SO must you chil CT ren; the fairy story is over; the work oA day hour is beginning once more." - It was still raining hard when Mi ~ Verona came out into the dreary autun .,- dusk, where the wet pools glistencd - =, the sidewalks, and the gas lamps sho M sulkily through the mist. l From the other side of the street - shadow like figure approached, t radius of an umbrella extended it's
 over her head and her arm was cal .2s~ ss s-s&z 2 zss .el